Harvey Barnes Scores Two Goals as The Magpies Defeat Benfica and Jose Mourinho
As the Benfica manager came at Newcastle's stadium and praised Newcastle's coach and his squad, local fans feared a tough match. However those fears disappeared thanks to a goal from the winger and a brace from replacement the forward, making sure Benfica's coach would not cause pain for Howe's team.
Game Flow and Early Action
The Benfica boss had forecast that Newcastle would be very physical, but his own team displayed their own combative approach. Benfica clearly enjoyed breaking up the Magpies' early attempts to build a smooth attacking tempo.
Compounding Newcastle's challenges, key players, Tonali and the Brazilian, started on the bench as they continued recovering from sickness and injury respectively.
Prior to kick-off, the coaches shared a perfunctory, reserved greeting, and it soon became clear that Mourinho had instructed his team to subdue the home fans by delaying the game and reducing the temperature whenever possible.
Critical Events and Turning Points
The visitors' tactic yielded mixed outcomes, but when Anthony Gordon and the Newcastle attack managed to break through Benfica's defensive barricades, they initially found it hard to generate good chances.
Moreover, the Belgium winger Lukebakio almost showed scoring skill when, after beating Dan Burn behind, he forced Nick Pope with a powerful shot that got an terrific single-hand save. It's no surprise Pope retains hope for an England recall in time for the World Cup.
But when the winger directed a further attempt off the post, the home side roused themselves. Jacob Murphy shot wide, and Anatoliy Trubin made an excellent near-post stop from Guimaraes before Anthony Gordon finally opened the scoreless tie.
The England winger's scorching speed had caused problems for Mourinho all night, and he neatly slotted the opener past the goalkeeper after Murphy's early cross into the area proved effective.
On the occasion the Magpies' hard, pressing game was not second-guessed by the opposition, Murphy, preferred over £55m Anthony Elanga, was there to deliver a ground cross across the face of goal for the winger to polish off.
Later Stages and Decisive Substitutions
From the beginning, the Portuguese team could not be accused of parking the bus and seeking a point, but now their side attacked with real freedom. Lukebakio repeatedly displayed an ability to unsettle Howe's back four, and the home team were probably relieved to reset at the break.
The first half ended with Pope once more rescuing his side by tipping Lukebakio's shot around the post, and as the sides came out for the next period, everything seemed finely balanced.
While Anthony Gordon, clearly buoyed by netting his fourth goal in three Champions League appearances this campaign, played with the determination of a wide player aiming to shift the power balance in Newcastle's direction, Lukebakio had other plans.
Mourinho's No 11 had previously emphasized that, while Dan Burn is a capable central defender, he is not a natural left-back, and home hearts were nervous every time he moved forward.
The Newcastle manager might have felt easier had Lewis Miley, deputising for Sandro Tonali, not directed a corner over the bar from a well-placed spot. Rather, this thrilling contest continued to move from end to end, prompting Newcastle's coach to introduce Joelinton and Harvey Barnes in place of Jacob Ramsey and Jacob Murphy.
Mourinho, meanwhile, brought on an extra forward in Ivanovic. This would arguably prove a risk that backfired.
Harvey Barnes Seals the Game
Until then, Benfica, and especially their Portugal back Antonio Silva, had done a good job in limiting Woltemade's room and pushing the German centre-forward deep. But now, with right-back Dedic off, the backline was underpowered, and the path was clear for Harvey Barnes to show that Anthony Gordon is not the manager's only goal-scoring wide player.
Newcastle's double substitution was already paying off by the time the goalkeeper dispatched a superb throw in the substitute's path. When Antonio Silva, for once, misread the bounce, the winger was away, accelerating into the area before maintaining impressive composure to lash a sublime shot past the keeper.
After Barnes rolled a shot through poor Trubin's feet after meeting Anthony Gordon's stellar through ball, it was all over. Mourinho had cautioned that Newcastle have four quick wide attackers, and a trio of strikes from a pair of wide men had shattered his hopes of securing Benfica's first Champions League points of the season.